The AlphaMind Podcast

In this engaging episode, we are thrilled to welcome Greg Newman, co-owner of Onyx Capital Group - an innovative Energy Prop Trading Firm, and the world's leading liquidity provider in the oil derivatives markets.Greg’s journey into trading kicked off at Gazprom in London, where he laid the foundation for an impressive career in the energy sector. He further honed his expertise at the independent Prop Trading firm, Manadara, focusing on energy derivatives and market-making. This episode ...

In this episode, we sit down with performance coach and former hedge fund trader Evan Marks to discuss the fascinating concept of traders as performance athletes. Evan shares his unique insights about the parallels between trading and sports, emphasizing the importance of personal development for improved effectiveness and productivity in trading. Throughout our conversation, Evan highlights the significance of tapping into the unconscious mind and becoming aware of our inner battles, particu...

In this week's episode of the AlphaMind Podcast, we welcome Pradeep Bonde of StockBee, a highly regarded trader in the retail trading community. Pradeep entered the trading world later in his career after a successful tenure as the head of marketing for DHL and FedEx in India. His passion for trading was ignited when he spent time alongside a colleague who actively traded the markets. Captivated by his colleague’s approach, Pradeep embarked on a love affair with trading, but the journey to su...

Join us for an enlightening episode of the AlphaMind Podcast, where we delve into the transformative world of performance coaching for traders. Hosted by AlphaMind's own Randall and Steven Goldstein, this engaging discussion features Kim Ann Curtin, famously known as The Wall Street Coach. In this dynamic conversation, we explore how performance coaching serves as a vital catalyst for traders, empowering them to unlock substantial improvements in their trading performance. Kim-Ann shares...

In this unique episode, the AlphaMind Podcast explores a new theme with a deep dive into Systems Thinking.Join hosts Mark Randall and Steven Goldstein as they embark on a dialogue discussing the relevance of systems thinking in trading and market navigation. Drawing from their experiences and insights from Peter Senge's influential work, "The Fifth Discipline," they emphasize the significance of systems thinking in fostering a culture of learning.The discussion also delves into the "Beer Game...

To be a great trader, you have to be a great learner as well as a continual learner. This includes learning about yourself, who you are, what you do, and how you do it. However, if we don't have feedback systems that allow us to see ourselves and our actions more objectively, we will always view ourselves through the lens of our biases and ego. This is why using a journaling tool is so valuable.In this compelling episode, we welcome back the duo behind Tradeciety and the brilliant online trad...

In this captivating episode, we welcome back Simon Mundie, a distinguished Sports Broadcaster for the BBC, acclaimed author of 'Champion Thinking: How to Find Success Without Losing Yourself,' and the esteemed host of the 'A New Way of Being’ Podcast, (formerly the The Life Lessons Podcast), where he engages with some of the world's most prominent sports figures.Simon takes us on a profound journey into the world of winning, success, and the complex interplay between our identities and the ri...

Join us on the AlphaMind Podcast for an exclusive episode featuring Tom Hougaard, author of the best-selling trading book "Best Loser Wins." Following his highly acclaimed first AlphaMind podcast in 2022, which became our most downloaded episode with nearly 70,000 downloads, Tom returns for a second captivating discussion.In this episode, Tom delves deep into the essence of trading, shedding light on the importance of action over mere analysis and prediction. He underscores that while analyti...

Welcome to a special episode of the AlphaMind podcast! In this episode, we have a unique treat for you as we welcome Louise Bedford, the host of the Australian trading podcast "Talking Trading ".This episode features a simulated podcast exchange between Louise and us, where we delve into the world of trading, behavioural finance, and the psychology behind successful trading.Louise Bedford is a renowned figure in the trading world, with five best-selling books on trading under her belt. ...

In this episode of the AlphaMind Podcast, we delve into the world of trader development with two distinguished guests, Beat Nussbaumer and Patrick Reid. Beat brings to the conversation nearly four decades of experience in FX and Prop Trading in macro markets at Goldman Sachs and Commerzbank. Today, he channels his expertise into training, mentoring, and developing traders, advocating for an approach he terms "tradeable macro."Patrick, on the other hand, embarked on his trading journey later i...

Steve Miley has a lifetime of experience in trading. He’s been a trader, an analyst and a mentor. He’s worked at some of the world’s leading trading firms, including investment banking giants Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse, having originally worked on the LIFFE trading exchange in the times of open outcry floor trading. Steve is still active in all these fields, and now is involved with one of the new breed of Online Prop Trading firms called Tradeday, where prospective traders have to ...

Welcome to the AlphaMind Podcast! In this episode, we're thrilled to sit down with Rajan Dhall, a remarkable trader and the head of the UK-based proprietary trading firm, DND Capital.Rajan generously shares insights from his journey in the trading world, offering invaluable lessons learned along the way. Despite his significant success, Rajan's approach remains grounded in humility. He walks us through pivotal moments in his career, recounting challenges faced both in trading and in his early...

In this episode we dive deep into the world of trading with Mohammad Ali, a seasoned trader with a rich background in financial markets. As the former Head of Global FX Trading at TD Securities, Mohammad brings a wealth of experience to the table. In this captivating episode, he shares invaluable insights and knowledge that will challenge and inspire traders of all levels.Drawing from his extensive experience, Mohammad discusses the profound impact of macroeconomic events on trading deci...

AlphaMind Podcast co-host Mark Randall engages in a dynamic interview with fellow co-host Steven Goldstein about his new book, "Mastering the Mental Game of Trading."This groundbreaking book has been making waves in the trading world, and Mark is on a mission to uncover the essence of its revolutionary concepts.Mark peppers Steven with insightful questions, extracting profound insights about the book's core concepts and its overarching purpose.Steven, in turn, takes listeners on an immersive ...

AlphaMind Podcast co-host Mark Randall reflects on insights gained from our podcast guests that he considers vital for traders as they look forward to 2024. With an illustrious career spanning over four decades in the financial markets, Mark initiated his journey as one of the pioneering traders on the LIFFE London Futures Exchange. Over time, he transitioned into pivotal roles, spearheading broking and sales divisions at major investment banks, lending him a wealth of experience and exp...

In this compelling episode of the AlphaMind Podcast, we immerse ourselves in the captivating realm of 'contrarian trading' with the remarkable Jason Shapiro, renowned as 'the contrarian' in Jack Schwager's "Unknown Market Wizards." Shapiro's adeptness in mastering the art of contrarian trading challenges the very core of many mainstream trading ideologies.This episode marks Jason's third appearance on the AlphaMind podcast, each visit sparking some fascinating feedback and gratitude from our ...

It is all to easy to think the answer to success in trading solely hinges on top-tier analysis and the application of sophisticated trading approaches and systems. However, overlooking the essential factor of nurturing and optimising the person doing the analysis and applying their trading decisions within the volatile and uncertain context of markets is a critical oversight.This week we tackled this topic with Louisa Nicola, a renowned neurophysiologist and human performance coach, who is a ...

Welcome to the AlphaMind podcast, where we delve deep into the world of trading with the seasoned trader and trading educator Joseph Gasperoni, more widely known as Jtrader. Join us as we journey to San Marino in the heart of Italy, where Joseph runs a highly acclaimed trader training academy. In this episode, we discuss and explore the secrets to success in trading, unraveling the challenge to what it take to achieve success in the financial markets.JTrader, known for his wealth of experienc...

In this insightful episode, we sat down with Adam Birkett, the Global Trading Lead at Cargill Ocean Transportation division, which trades physical and derivative cargo, freight, and shipping products globally across all major markets, to delve into the profound concept of "The Power of Non-Attachment in Trading."Adam has spent nearly his entire career at Cargill Ocean Transportation. He has been a trader, led a major trading team, worked in Risk Management, and then transitioned to becoming t...

Susquehanna International Group (SIG) is renowned as one of the world’s leading global proprietary trading firms, highly esteemed for its entrepreneurial ethos and meticulous analytical decision-making processes. Founded with a mindset rooted in entrepreneurship, SIG engages in trading various listed financial products and asset classes across the globe on a daily basis. The company attracts top-tier talent, employing both quantitative and discretionary approaches to maintain its position at ...

In today's episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Jonny Matthews, a true luminary in the finance industry boasting an impressive 28-year track record. Jonny's journey commenced during the legendary 'Liar's Poker' era at Salomon Brothers. Jonny later ascended to prominence as a Portfolio Manager, adeptly overseeing up to $500 million in assets at the renowned hedge fund Brevan Howard. Before his tenure at Brevan Howard, Jonny honed his craft at Citibank, where he mastered equi...

This week we talk with Robert Van Eyden, author of Badass Trader: How to Trade Your Way to RichesRobert is a true veteran of the markets with over three decades of invaluable experience in the dynamic world of markets, predominantly in his home country, South Africa.Robert's remarkable journey has seen him excel as an analyst, trader, investor, lecturer, and wealth manager. Currently he serves as the CEO of IG Markets South Africa.The central premise of "Badass Trader" revolves around the tan...

Life, markets and trading, often tries to wear you down, challenging your confidence, and shattering your self-belief. This week's guest on the AlphaMind Podcast takes us on a unique journey, deviating from our usual guests. Once you hear what she has to say, you'll hopefully recognise its relevance not only to your trading but also to much broader and deeper aspects of your work and life.Maria Iliffe-Wood is a seasoned Executive Coach and specialist in Leadership Development. She is the auth...

In this captivating podcast episode, Co-host Steven Goldstein delves into the intriguing world of trading and markets, offering insightful thoughts and reflections. Drawing from his extensive experience spanning nearly four decades, Steven explores what the markets truly need from you as a trader in order for it to emerge victorious, at the expense of you the trader.Prepare to embark on a journey deep into the intricacies of the 'Inner Game' of trading. Steven's wealth of knowledge and expert...

Clive Ponsonby graduated from Cambridge University as a Mathematician and then ventured into the dynamic and unpredictable world of Spot FX trading in the 1990s. This move was unconventional for someone with a highly academic background, transitioning to an environment dominated by fast-paced, streetwise, and quick-witted traders, many of whom hailed from non-academic backgrounds.Clive developed a deep passion for this wild world and quickly applied his own skills and abilities to excelling i...

In the enticing world of trading, where money, glory, and glamour beckon, millions are drawn each year, hoping to strike it rich. Yet, only a fraction ever truly succeed, and even those who do often emerge battered, bruised, and occasionally traumatized.In this week's podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with someone who has traversed the unpredictable landscape of trading, enduring numerous ups and downs along the way. Meet David Hale, a seasoned proprietary trader with over two decade...

In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of 'Radical Responsibility' with Mandi Rafsanjani, a performance coach who specializes in trading psychology. Mandi defines Radical Responsibility as an extreme form of accountability, where one takes full ownership of their actions and the outcomes, even in the face of external events beyond their control. Mandi first came across this concept while working with trading legend Linda Raschke, who demonstrated exceptional resilience and a...

This week’s AlphaMind podcast episode on fear and greed in trading features a true expert on the subject - Dr. Ken Long. Though retired from the US Army after 25 years’ service where he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Ken is still actively teaching as an Associate Professor at US Army Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is currently supervising multiple master’s theses focused on applying AI to military decision making. Ken's trading journey began...

In this episode, we chat with Cory Mitchell, who has been a successful prop trader for some twenty years. Cory shares his reflections on the development of what it takes to deliver consistent and profitable trading results over a long period of time, and he offers some invaluable thoughts on trading and dealing with the challenges of making decisions in the moment and coping with those voices in our heads that can hold us back. Cory started trading with a local prop firm in Canada, after...

The battle for success in trading, is not a battle fought in the market, on your trading screen, or in the dealing rooms of a major trading firm, it’s a battle which takes place in those few inches between your left ear, and the right one. In this episode we talk with Jon MacAskill, a former US Navy Seal commander, and Will Schneider, a well-known Mindfulness Guru from New York, who together host ‘Men Talking Mindfulness’, a brilliant podcast series which brings together superb guests to talk...

The world of sports and high-performance offer so many great metaphors and analogies for trading, where the mind, and the noises in our head, can become the blocker to the potential people possess. In this episode we talk with Simon Mundie, a leading sports journalist, radio and tv broadcaster, author, and coach. Simon hosted a superb podcast featured on the BBC, which looks at the lessons people can learn from the world of sports and high performance. On the podcast, Simon has interview...

Jacob is a young trader from Denmark who is still going through the relative early stages of his trading career. As you will hear in this interview, Jacob has a wise head on young shoulders. Jacob discovered a passion for investing, then trading, in his mid-teens. He has since dived into trading with gusto learning the basics of trading, developing his trading skills, learning technical analysis, developing systematic trading capabilities, reading influential writers on trading, in parti...

We're delighted to welcome back a friend of the show Jonathan Baird, an award-winning money manager and publisher of the Global Investment Letter, who speaks and writes about macro themes in markets based on this his many decades of experience in this area. 2022 was the year when having a handle on the macro-economic narrative was to prove hugely advantageous. Understanding the macro and building it into your read of the markets is vital for traders who wish to gain an edge in markets w...

Trading legend Marty Schwartz aka Pitbull said, "the most important change in my trading career occurred when I learned to divorce my ego from the trade."The ego gets a bad wrap in trading, and often seen as the enemy. But is this the right way to look at it? The ego is very much part of us, part of who we are, part of our nature, our soul. How can it be the enemy? That makes us the enemy. And yet, often it feels like it is, with its ability to act in ways which are malicious and m...

In this 2nd part of this outstanding chat with former Chicago pit trader Matt ‘Pax’ Kenah. Matt takes us to a deeper exploration of his story. We discuss Matt's personal battles, hiss loss caused by the collapse of MF global, the struggles with his self which followed this, and the rebuilding of his career. We look at the steps Matt took, and the foundation blocks he built to come back and build a trading career for a second time around. Matt talks about the support of his wife, his religious...

Matt “Pax” Kenah: The Life of a Futures Trader – Part 1Matt “Pax” Kenah is a passionate, straight shooting, former Chicago Floor Trader who still trades and now also mentor traders. In this fascinating interview ,he shares his story, his journey and experiences, his success and mistakes, his highs and lows.Matt opens up fully about the realities of trading, the emotional challenges, the steps he, and others, what he considers trading success to be, and what people need to do to get there.This...

In this episode, we talk in-depth with Jeff Boccaccio about his journey from the non-trading world, to the world of trading his own money. Jeff was initially was an IT consultant.This a conversation which covers from a wide and varied range which will be hugely valuable and hopefully inspiring, to traders of all types. Jeff also shares valuable insights and advice about trading, the reality of how long it takes to learn and develop the skills to become a successful trade, and about the emotio...

Sven Fuhrman: Hedge Fund Manager and Energy TraderThe dramatic context of the past couple of years, and the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have awoken many traders and investors to the significance and importance of the Power and Energy Markets. This corner of the international markets remains relatively obscure and poorly understood, despite them playing a far more tangible and significant role in all our lives, than virtually any other market.On this week’s AlphaMind pod...

Tom Basso: Market Wizards Mr SerenityTom Basso first came to prominence when he was featured in Jack Schwager’s second Market Wizards book “New Market Wizards”. His chapter is called Mr Serenity. In the introduction to the interview with Tom, Jack, made a point of saying, that “although Tom’s results are significantly better than the industry average, they were ‘hardly extraordinary’. And yet, ‘Jack says, “in an important sense, Basso is perhaps the most successful, trader I have ever intervi...

Jason Shapiro returns to the AlphaMind podcast a year after his first episode proved to be one of our most popular to date. Jason featured in Jack Schwager’s brilliant ‘Unknown Market Wizard’ where he was known as ‘The Contrarian’, which tells all you need to know about his approach and style. In this episode, Jason answers a series of questions submitted by AlphaMind Podcast listeners, and expands upon his trading approach, his views about trading and markets, and shares more details of...

Tom Hougaard is a ‘high-stakes’ day trader, and author of a superb new book ‘Best Loser Wins: Why Normal Thinking Never Wins the Trading Game’, which focuses on the mental battle needed to succeed in trading and the challenge of getting your mind right. Tom is someone who has faced his own battles to become a successful trader, and like many he has gone through that cycle of try, learn, fail, try again and eventually succeed. Tom is passionate about trading, as you will hear, and al...

Listening to Robert Carver will make you a wiser trader. Period.Robert Carver is a treasure trove of trading wisdom, knowledge, know-how and first-hand experience. He has a strong background in economics, has worked as a trader at a leading investment bank and at a $30 billion hedge fund where he ran a major chunk of their trading capital for several years. In addition, Robert has built his own trading systems, traded, and still does trade, his own money, and has thought intensely about tradi...

Trading is a job which tests everyone who participates in it to the max. Volatile markets, rapidly shifting trading environments, strong bull markets followed by violent bear markets, fortunes made over years then lost in hours. The markets toy with traders’ emotions and their sense of self-worth, as they come to terms with just how much skill and ability is needed to succeed over the long-term in a challenge that people vastly underestimate. In this episode AlphaMind co-host Mark Randa...

What makes you feel uncomfortable? How do you cope with difficult situations which make you feel uncomfortable? Do you shy away from these situations or avoid making tough decisions because of your discomfort? Has it held you back in your trading, in life, and does it continue to hold you back? Being able to cope with anxiety inducing situations that make us feel uncomfortable lies at the very epicentre of many of the biggest challenges in life. Whether taking high stakes trading ...

Peter Castle started trading in 1995. Whilst going through the process of learning trading and listening to many of the great trainers and teachers of trading, he noticed how many of themes focused on lessons that had a spiritual component. He realised how trading the markets can push you to the edge of desperation, which then impacts you mentally and can lead you into downward spiral of negativity that manifests poor performance and eventually mental burn out.Peter started to incorporate som...

OIiver Kell won the 2020 US stock trading champion with an astonishing return of 941%, almost double the return of the second-place competitor. However, there is a lot more to Oliver than just great trading, his success is born of a deep humility and a huge respect for risk and the market. And as you listen to him, you may be surprised to notice how his process and success is built upon a foundation of high-risk aversion allied to a deep passion for what he does.In this episode Oliver opens a...

Linda Raschke is one of those traders who is quoted often by other traders. That gives you a sense of the respect and regard with which she is held in the trading world. Linda started trading since the early 1980s, and after a tough introduction to the world of trading, went on to achieve great success and attained notoriety in the trading world after she was featured in one of the early Market Wizards books. Recently Linda wrote ‘Trading Sardines, Lessons in the Markets from a Life...

In this episode, we discuss with Garth Mackenzie, what he feels drives trading success, what drives his trading success, and what is it about his approach which has contributed to his success thus far.Garth has been trading for over 20 years, however Garth admits the journey was anything but smooth, and despite some early successes, he found that the market was as adept in taking away, as it was in giving. In the years since his early trading days, Garth has gone on to build a thriving t...

The trader and author of the book ‘Phantom of the Pit’ Art Simpson’s said of trading, ‘The Best Loser is the Long-Term Winner’. Trading like poker, and many games entails losing and failing often, many of the greats of trading will tell how failure and being able to cope with failure, lie at the core to success. In this episode of the AlphaMind podcast, we discuss the 3 ‘Fs’ of Fear, Frustration and Failure, and how success requires learning ‘how to cope with failure, since failure is su...

For anyone 30 or younger, the world of DeFi (Decentralised Finance) is their world. Some in their 30s are clued up, but to most, DeFi and the world of Cryptocurrencies is something of a mystery. To those over 40, DeFi is largely an alien and murky world, difficult to navigate let alone to even comprehend. In this episode of the AlphaMind podcast show hosts Mark Randell and Steven Goldstein, both far older than is healthy and a long way past the wrong side of 50, facilitate a panel of Def...

Sam North both trades for himself and mentors’ other traders for eToro, the world’s largest social trading and multi-asset brokerage company, where he is their trading school lead. In this great chat with the AlphaMind Podcast, Sam went deep into what it takes to succeed as a new trader, shared his reflections on patterns common to those he sees who succeed, and opens up about mistakes he witnesses which cause so many to fail.Sam NorthLinkedIn: hereTwitter: hereAlphaMind Podcast SponsorT...

When it comes to trading, finding your trading edge and learning how to sharpen your trading edge, are what ultimately define whether you succeed or fail. We believe there are 3 main sources of edge for traders, and that these 3 edges support each other to make each edge more potent and powerful. Developing trading mastery however requires the combining of the edges into one singular sustainable practice that is unique to the trader and which powers their success in the complex, un...

Contrary to common belief, it is not market knowledge, analytical skills, or some special system or secret indicator that are the key differentiators of success in financial markets. The true differentiator is the ability to ‘Let Go’, and the capability to sustain a ‘Letting Go’ mindset at all times. This week, Tom Canfield, a veteran US based Retail Trader, returns to the AlphaMind Podcast to discuss his ongoing journey of ‘Letting Go’ as a trader, and his battle to get there. Cha...

Mike Bellafiore is co-founder of SMB Capital, one of the world's leading Proprietary Trading firms, based in New York City. Mike has authored two outstanding and highly popular trading books, One Good Trade: Inside the Highly Competitive World of Proprietary Trading and the The Playbook: An Inside Look at How to Think Like a Professional Trader. For many new and aspiring traders, the chance to work in a proprietary trading firm, is the holy grail of trading. It is trading’s equiva...

Your Brain and your mind are your greatest asset as a trader, together they are most powerful weapon in your arsenal. But are you using them effectively, optimally, and to their fullest effect? Your capital, your systems, your processes are the warheads you deploy in the markets, but it’s your brain which is the system that deploys them, and your mind is tool that observes, senses and then makes the choices when to launch, manages the battle, and the allocation and timing of resource uti...

Welcome to the first Bitesize episode of the AlphaMind podcast, limited to 15 minutes, which is a chat between the hosts, Steven Goldstein and Mark Randall, about one of the biggest challenges all traders face, the emotional aspects to trading. This episode calls upon the help of a couple of excerpts taken from interviews with 2 of our most popular guests Merritt Black and Tom Canfield. You can learn more about this episode in the show notes on our blog page, where you can also find links tot...

Whilst the reality is that we all have to learn by our own experiences, we can fast-track that learning by hearing of the experiences of others and making adaptions to how we work quicker than would, by recognizing their experiences in ourselves. In this episode we chat with Richard Matthews, a near 50-year veteran of the markets, who has some great experiences to share. Richard started as a trainee broker in 1973. That is a lot of experience, lot of knowledge, a lot of wisdom, and we ar...

True Grit: Dr Doug Mackaman and Dr Paul Stolz on Grit and Adversity as the Bedrock of SuccessThe ability to cope with setbacks, deal with adversity and have the grit to battle through the difficult times, is the very bedrock which trading success is built upon. In this episode we talk with two of the world’s leading experts on these themes. Dr Doug Mackaman is a distinguished professor of European History and Global Affairs, at the university of Wisconsin, has studied the history o...

Blake Morrow has been a retail trader and a prop trader for over 2 decades. He also runs a Trading community, provides market commentary and detailed analysis for retail traders. He also co-founded Forex Analytix, which provides commentary and market analysis for retail traders working in the Foreign Exchange markets, as well in others market sectors including crypto and stocks. He also co-founded Traders Summit, which runs and hosts trading events and brings outstanding and informative conte...

Brent Donnelly has been in and around trading for close to 3 decades and has held major trading roles at investment banks and hedge funds with a strong emphasis on the FX and Global Macro, where he has been involved in both market-making and proprietary roles. Brent started trading in 1995 and has worked at several illustrious firms in the markets, including Citibank, Merrill Lynch, Royal bank of Canada, Lehman Brothers, Graham Capital, Nomura Bank and HSBC. Since 2004 Brent has bee...

Narrative for WebsiteIn this episode we spoke with legendary trading psychologist Dr Van K Tharp. Dr Tharp has been coaching traders for almost 4 decades and came to prominence when he was featured in Jack Schwager’s very first Market Wizard’s book back in 1989. As you can imagine, with someone with that level of experience and knowledge, this chat goes beneath the surface of trading and into the inner realms of human performance, touching on areas of 'who we are', 'how we are', and 'how we b...

In this episode Steven and Mark focus on what they consider as three key guiding principles which are vital for success in business, in life, and of course in trading and financial markets. These key guiding principles provide a solid foundation for a robust trading practice but are equally as applicable in other areas of work and life. This episode provides a deep exploration into these principles and looks at these key aspects and how they apply to traders in their work in a big p...

Journaling is one of the most useful activities a trader can engage in to help them become better traders, power their development, and help them refine their trading practice. However, it is also one of those activities that people think is a great idea but is something they think they’ll do another day, or they do a half-hearted effort. The exceptions are usually ‘exceptional people’. People who are willing to go that extra mile, put in the hard yards, take the time to learn about themselve...

Successful trading and investment has never been an easy task, with only very few able to encounter and navigate the turbulent waters of financial markets and remain standing nearly 4 decades later. This week’s guest is one of those few. Jonathan Baird is a Money Manager and writer of the outstanding Global Investment Letter. In his long career (managing primarily international/global equity mutual funds) Jonathan managed three different #1 ranked funds, and has won a prestigious Lipper ...

30 years of trading success brought Jason Shapiro to the attention of Jack Schwager, who was looking for new interview subjects for the latest instalment of his brilliant series of Market Wizards books ‘Unknown Market Wizard’. Shapiro’s chapter in the book is called ‘The Contrarian’, which tells you pretty much all you need to know about his approach and style. In this episode, Jason opens up with about his trading approach, his contrarian philosophy and a whole host of topics around the...

Many people new to trading, and even many veterans, have a very limited view of Technical Analysis. They often see it as merely a tool used for analysing market price action, or may hold beliefs which may lead them to be sceptical or even cynical about its usefulness or validity. Yet, technical analysis is far more than merely a tool for analysing the market price action, it can provide an entire framework for your trading. This includes helping improve timing of discretionary actions, ...

We are delighted to welcome back the wonderful Denise Shull to the AlphaMind podcast to talk about Visceral Intelligence and Trading. Visceral intelligence is the literal feeling that you get in your body that correlates with a decision you’re trying to make or an experience you are having.Denise is making her second appearance as a guest on the AlphaMind podcast. As one of the leading performance coaches in the trading and investment world, Denise has specialised in applying neuroeconomics a...

Money Coaching is a relatively new profession that combines sound psychological and coaching principles with practical financial coaching to help people transform their relationship with money. This week’s guest, Dennis Harhalakis is a Money Coach who spent more than two decades in bank trading rooms as a trader and salesperson and has worked in the private banking and wealth management world. That sort of experience provides a well-rounded perspective as a money coach to talk about how peopl...

Merritt Black, our first returning guest, shares his personal insights and deep wisdom about the challenges traders face in the battle to succeed. Merritt is the founder & head of trading at Apteros Trading, a proprietary trading firm, before that he headed futures and commodities trading at SMB Capital. The first episode with Merritt in September 2019 proved enduringly popular and has remained one of our most downloaded episodes. In this new...

This episode's guest is Mental game Coach Jared Tendler. Jared is the author of a new book, “The Mental Game of Trading”.Jared has worked as a mental game coach with golfers and poker players and has written extensively about the mental game of poker. The mental aspect of trading is probably the hardest and most challenging part of trading to manage and overcome. You can be strong technically, and may posses a great process or system, but it is the mental side which often causes th...

This episode focuses on peak performance.We are all familiar with the idea of coaching as a driver of peak performance in sports, however the concept of using coaching in other areas, particularly trading, remains largely alien to many. Yet trading is a high-performance activity. It requires clarity of mind, careful planning, acute reflexes, the ability to make split second decisions in fast moving complex and uncertain environments, and a competitive spirit. People rarely consider these...

Ryan Paisey has been in and around markets for almost 2 decades. He has been a market-maker, a day trader, a scalper and a prop trader (almost an interesting new line for Steve Miller Band's 'The Joker'). These days he devotes his energy to providing a trader news service ‘PriapusIQ’, which he describes as All Killer, No Filler, News & Commentary on all Things Markets & Geopolitics. His commentary, often accompanied by some acerbic market wit (yes he really is 'the joker'), provides a...

Paul Craven, a behavioural expert with a strong background in the investment industry, shares some fascinating insights into how the mind plays tricks on us that impact how we make decisions and choices in our trading and investment activities.Paul is an expert in the field of behavioural finance. He talks. lectures and has a deep passion for this topic. Paul understands the challenges people in these fields face from having spent a career in the industry working for leading firms such ...

There is no easy money in trading, and just when you think there may be, the opportunities that produce it get snatched away from you. That’s the lesson our guest Joseph Gasperoni, who goes by the name JTrader, has learned and passed on to others in a 20-year career as a full-time day trader and educator.Jo started trading in the dotcom era in Italy. At a young age he was soon making the sort of money which most people dream of. Life seemed good and he seemed to be set-up for a great and frui...

Tom Canfield is a private retail trader with over 20 years in markets. Tom talks in-depth about the pain and the joy of trading and the emotional challenges he has faced in his career as a trader. Tom is a major contributor to the financial market twitter (fintwit) world and is known for his honest, deep and brutally frank reflections and insights about the reality and challenges of trading.We have been trying to get Tom on the Podcast for some time, however it was in response to a sensa...

Glen Goodman is a cryptocurrency contributing expert for the London School of Economics and was formerly a Business Correspondent for BBC News and ITV News, interviewing leading politicians, including Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Theresa May.Glen is the author of The Crypto Trader, published by Harriman House. In this Amazon bestseller, he draws on 20 years of trading experience to show how to trade cryptocurrency successfully.Glen's Facebook page, Glen Goodman – The Shares Guy, has a qua...

There's something incredibly potent and calming about insights from people who have been there and done it many times over. AlphaMind hosts Mark and Steve have over 8 decades between them in markets, and thousands of hours coaching traders to move forward and progress in their work and get past the many mental and emotional challenges trading throws up. In this episode, Mark and Steve share 10 powerful insights and pieces of wisdom that they feel will help them to become better mor...

Our guest this week is Chris Camillo, a unique and quite astonishing trader. Chris was recently featured in the Jack Schwager’s new book, ‘Unknown Market Wizards’. The title chapter for Chris’s interview was ‘Neither’, and it referred to Chris’s approach to trading, which didn’t make use of neither Fundamental Analysis nor Technical Analysis. Chris uses a unique approach to trading which he calls Social Arbitrage. It could best be described as ‘Observational Awareness’. Chris is also a big fa...

Our guest today is Marsten Parker. Marsten is one of the featured traders in Jack Schwager’s Unknown Market Wizards, the 5th book in the iconic Market Wizards series.Marsten is the only truly systematic trader featured in Unknown Market Wizards. Marsten started off as a software engineer before he developed his interest in trading after his company IPO’s and he found himself with a considerable shareholding. After leaving his company, and ignited by a new interest in markets, Marsten started ...

This is the podcast interview we have been waiting to do all year. We have been huge fans of the Market Wizards series of books since the first one landed with a splash in 1989. That was a time when trading had first exploded beyond the confines of the old-fashioned stock and commodity exchanges. There were new futures floors, new instruments, and rapid expansion of trading activities buoyed by the growth of futures and derivatives contracts and juiced up by the early computerised trading sys...

There are a host of different factors which lead to great trading and investing performance, but at the end of the day, we live and die by the quality of the decisions, we make. It is ‘Where the Money Is!’.Our ability to make good quality decisions in financial markets is heavily compromised by our inability to be truly objective in the face of the extreme complexity, uncertainty and randomness. What we think is the best decision in the moment, doesn’t necessarily yield the best outcome.The w...

This week we are delighted to have Dr Tara Swart on the Podcast. Tara is a qualified psychiatrist and neuroscientist. who left the world of medicine to set-up her own Neuroscience based leadership coaching consultancy and became a coach, working with leaders and increasingly with top traders in Hedge Funds. Tara also lectrues in Neuroscience at MIT, is an in demand speaker, and author of ‘The Source: Open Your Mind, Change Your Life ‘, which has been has described very favourably as ‘The Secr...

This weeks guest was 'us'.In this episode Ralf and Moritz of the Tradeciety interviewed AlphaMind Podcast hosts Steve and Mark about their work helping traders to become more effective by tackling the psychological, mental and behavioural aspects of trading. This interview covered a wide range of themes including: Developing Resilience. The importance of ‘Letting Go’ and overcoming unhelpful attachments. Overcoming the inevitable downward spiral.Self-compassion in tr...

'The Psychology of Money' is a new book written by former Motley Fool and Wall Street Journal finance columnist Morgan Housel. The book has been called "one of the best and most original finance books in years." by the Wall Street Journal.You can tell the quality of a book by the people who have reviewed it. When you have an investing legend like Howard Marks comment on the book, you know it is going be worth investing your time to read it. This is what Marks had to say about the book. ‘...

Robin Bieber has been working in the Oil markets for the past 40 years. He has been a trader, broker and analysts, and is now considered one of the leading technical analysts in the trading industry. There are few better qualified people who possess the depth of knowledge and insight about how to use and apply Technical Analysis than Robin. Robin joined the markets in 1982 after nine years in the British Army. Robin first worked at E.D. and F. Mann followed by spells at Tiger Petroleum, ...

Every Trader would love to be bullet proof. To be bulletproof is to be able to survive the mental shots taken at us each and every day in the financial markets. When these shots hit us, they disrupt our thinking, corrupt our decision-making and inflict major damage on our trading and investment performance. In this episode Trader Performance Coach Steve Ward talks about his latest book, ‘Bulletproof Trader: Evidence-based strategies for overcoming setbacks and sustaining high performanc...

Our guest this is week is John Locke, an option trader at SMB Capital. John has achieved great success as a trader since starting about 15 years ago having previously worked as a ‘Success Coach’.As well as working as a trader himself, John coaches’ traders through this company ‘Locke in Your Success’. John took the principles he applied to clients in his coaching and applied them to himself. John worked on his own personal and human development more so than focusing on developing his tra...

Geoff Trickey is one of the world’s leading experts on Risk Personality. Geoff says that ‘personality writes your biography’ and believes that knowing and understanding your risk personality, can provide an enormous edge in how you work and the quality of the decisions and choices you make.A few years ago Geoff and his team created a new tool for assessing risk personality called the Risk Type Compass. I have used the Risk Type Compass extensively in my coaching work with traders and investme...

A young man amasses $70,000,000 in trading profits, is accused of causing one of the biggest Stock Market Crashes ever, is the subject of a major US govt investigation and a multimillion-dollar manhunt, and all from his upstairs bedroom, in his parent’s modest house, in an ordinary London suburb, without his family or friends having a clue. This week’s guest, Liam Vaughan, wrote the book ‘Flash Crash’, which tells the incredible story of Navinder Singh Sarao and the 2010 Flash-crash.&nbs...

A winning mindset is at least as important to trading success as the strategies and tactics you deploy. But how much effort do put into developing a winning mindset?Having a robust system or method for finding value, an appropriate philosophy to risk, a strong risk management practice, a thorough understanding of markets are all prerequisites for success. However, it is the combination of these factors allied to a winning mindset, which is where great performance occurs. This is the secret to...

Brian is a retail trader who placed his first trade in 1967. Brian still actively trades, is a mentor at the Bear Bull Traders community and is author of ‘How To Swing Trade: A Beginner’s Guide to Trading Tools, Money Management, Rules, Routines and Strategies of a Swing Trader’. In this episode we had a rich conversation with Brian covering a wide range of themes including: How Swing Trading enables a trader to take advantage of short-term trends, longer term trends, and over-exten...

The very essence of the challenge of trading and investing is making great decisions, under time pressured situations, when faced with extreme uncertainty. The very essence of the challenge of trading and investing is making great decisions, under time pressured situations, when faced with extreme uncertainty. Traders are making decisions in the moment, under-pressure, in the face of volatile and uncertain news flow, whilst battling their own fickle emotions and internal doubts. Success ...

AlphaMind podcast host Steven Goldstein worked for almost 25 years as a professional trader at Investment Banks in both Market-Making and Proprietary Trading roles. In his battle to succeed, Steven was always looking to improve and find the secrets to success. To help him on this journey, Steven developed his own set of guiding principles which were personal to him. Over time these principles formed and emerged, and later in his career he collated them into a list of 15 principles and reminde...

Bitcoin, and the world of cryptocurrency, divides opinion. At one end of the scale you’ll find the cynics and sceptics, at the other end those who are fascinated by all things crypto, and in between is everyone else, by varying degrees. The needle is however moving on this scale: Many cynics are becoming less cynical and more curious, and some of the more curious are starting to dabble in crypto as an investable asset class and a tradable instrument. In the past week, Paul Tudor-Jon...

This week’s guest is Dr Brian Keating, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego.In this podcast, we interview Dr Keating about some of the connections which bind trading, investing and science. Dr Keating talks about how scientists, despite being held on some sort of an intellectual pedestal, are human, and are just as prone to the foibles and behavioural errors which are common to people in all fields, including trading.The theme, which resonates througho...

Andrew Aziz is a Retail Trader, Founder of the Bear Bull Community of Traders and is author of Amazon top-selling book, ‘How to Day Trade for a Living: Tools, Tactics, Money Management, Discipline and Trading Psychology’. Andrew talks about his journey into trading after completing a PhD in Chemical Engineering, then abandoning a career in that field to focus on becoming a trader. In this excellent interview Andrew opens up and shares his views on a wide range of themes, including h...

Mark Randall is Co-Host of the AlphaMind Podcast, but this week he becomes the interview guest. Mark is one of the world’s leaders in the delivery of Performance-Based Mindfulness. He works primarily with corporates, including board-level leaders and people in senior management roles, as well as with traders and investors. Mark’s outlook and perspectives with regard to mindfulness have evolved from over 30 years working as a broker in the International Futures and Options markets fo...

The last few weeks have seen traumatic times in the financial markets. Trading conditions in all markets have seen unparalleled volatility and liquidity levels in excess of the worst of 2008 and which few have ever experienced. In this special one-off episode we hear from 4 'Masters of the Markets, who each have been previous guests on the AlphaMind podcast and who have agreed to share their reflections and experiences of the past few week's violent market conditions.The guests are :Anth...

Denise Shull is one of the world’s leading performance coaches. As well as being a former trader herself, Denise focuses on the positive contribution feelings and emotion makes in high-pressure decision-making situations.Denise uses neuroeconomics and modern psychoanalysis in her work with traders and investment professionals, and also works with professional athletes, helping them break past the same mental hurdles and barriers that high performance traders face. Denise is also well kno...